Email is the second channel, not the main one. It covers the customers you have no WhatsApp consent for, and carries the layouts WhatsApp cannot — a full cart with images, or a long policy explanation.
Connect Gmail with Google OAuth and email sends from your own mailbox. Templates are edited in a studio with live merge previews, and journey nodes can send a matching email alongside each WhatsApp step — useful when a contact has no WhatsApp consent.
Before you start
- A Google or Google Workspace mailbox you are willing to send from.
- Shopify connected, if you want live product images in cart emails.
Connecting Gmail
- Open the email channel Settings → Connections → Gmail, or Campaigns → Email → Connect Gmail.
- Approve Google OAuth Sign in and grant send permission. Use the OAuth flow rather than any app-password workaround — Workspace policies commonly block the latter.
- Send yourself a test Confirm the message arrives and that the From address is the one you expect customers to see.
The template studio
Templates are edited in a full studio with subject, HTML body and a live preview. Built-in cart and order emails pull real product images from your catalogue when Shopify is connected, so the preview matches what customers receive.
| Variable | Fills with |
|---|---|
{{first_name}} | The customer’s first name. |
{{store_name}} | Your store name from brand settings. |
{{cart_items_html}} | The abandoned cart rendered as a product list with images. |
{{order_id}} | The order number. |
{{checkout_url}} | A link back to the abandoned checkout. |
Where email beats WhatsApp
| Situation | Why email |
|---|---|
| No WhatsApp consent | Email reaches contacts you are not allowed to message on WhatsApp. |
| A full cart with images | A rich layout reads better in an inbox than in a chat bubble. |
| Long explanations | Policies and apologies need more room than a chat message. |
| Cost-sensitive volume | There is no per-conversation fee on email. |
Coordinate the two so a customer with both consents does not get the same reminder twice. More on channel choice in WhatsApp vs email for D2C India.
- Campaigns — Sending an email broadcast.
- Abandoned cart recovery — Adding email to the ladder.
Frequently asked questions
Does TopEdge send email from its own servers?
No, it sends through your connected Gmail or Google Workspace mailbox, so the From address is your own and your existing domain reputation applies. That also means your mailbox provider’s sending limits apply to campaign volume.
Why will my journey not publish with an email step?
Because Gmail is not connected. A journey containing an email node is blocked at publish rather than failing silently at send time. Connect Gmail in Settings, or remove the email node from the journey.
Updated 2026-10-04